Barrel Aged Golden Spur, aged in a medium toask French Oak Syrah Barrel from Bella Victoria winery for a little over 2 months.

Had some from a growler last weekend, but headed to the tasting room for 2 tasters this weekend, and my own growler fill.

A: Poured from the growler, into a tulip glass. The beer pours a soft gold color. It is slightly cloudy/hazy, with a generous full inch of billowy head that slowly settles. Overall appearance is nearly identical o the non barrel aged version, but no surprise here was expected.

S: Here's where the beer shines! Scents of toasted oak, vanilla, splashes of syrah, light banana, & a touch of mineral salts. Spicing is milder here too, but some clove & fruity esters are detected as it warms up.

T: Toasted oak, some vanilla, mild banana, earthy minerals, with some syrah sweetness blended in. The tart twang I got off golden spur on the finish is dialed back, & rounded out by the oak, very nice.

M: Medium mouth heft, less dry, and softer.

O: Tasty. The base beer was already well rounded (Recent Gold Medal winner @ the LA County Fair) and this just added more layers of complexity to an already solid beer. Good stuff.